Yeah, it is a really cool plane and when comparing it to similar models (eflite twin otter) it is definitely reasonably priced.
WIDGEON!!!!
- Thread starter Hoomi
- Start date
Battery800
Elite member
ITS ON PRO-ORDER!!!!!
Battery800
Elite member
might be getting it after I build the PBY
K3V0
Elite member
Ok you’re the second person to mention working on a PBY today. Is there a new set of plans I missed?!
Battery800
Elite member
It’s me the same person and the design from localfiend 4 years ago, but just got into scratch building annoy didn’t seem too hard
It shows in stock.
Does anyone have it yet?
I’m surprised there’s no FT video yet.
I’d love to get this, but the e-Flite Twin Otter has AS3X, SAFE, and a DSMX received for $229.
Aura Lite and receiver are on top of the Widgeon’s $229.
So it has to be really great to justify the extra $70-$90.
I really want to support FliteTest, but that’s a lot of scratch for something I’ll smash sooner or later.
Does anyone have it yet?
I’m surprised there’s no FT video yet.
I’d love to get this, but the e-Flite Twin Otter has AS3X, SAFE, and a DSMX received for $229.
Aura Lite and receiver are on top of the Widgeon’s $229.
So it has to be really great to justify the extra $70-$90.
I really want to support FliteTest, but that’s a lot of scratch for something I’ll smash sooner or later.
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That looks awesome!
Steve Harbaugh
New member
That looks fantastic! Still waiting on mine... When is the maiden flight?
Just put it together tonight. Incredibly easy to put together. Magnets, very nice wing securing mechanism. Extremely well made. Very nicely finished.
Also set up the Aura 5 with differential thrust and some slightly customized flight modes. Pretty easy to set that up as well. Plugged everything in. Reversed a few servos. Centered a few surfaces. Put on the props. All bench tested and ready to go. A bit blustery tonight, so I will wait for a calm day in the next few days. 13 acre pond behind the house, so easy to get a flight in if the winds calm a bit.
Should be fun!
Maiden was yesterday. I wrote a review which I posted on the FliteTest product page...(see below). I had a ESC crap out, so can't fly again until they send me a replacement. Flite Test did a quick diagnosis on the phone and are sending me what I need. The top half of the engine pods comes off - held with a few magnets. So getting at the motor and ESC for replacement will be easy. About the only little issue I had was the prop nut on the right motor was fairly difficult to get off. Almost seemed like it was cross threaded, but did eventually come off and went back on. A tiny little hassle. Differential Thrust is just the coolest thing. Fun to play with. It can be accomplished with a radio mix fairly easily, but I went with the Aura 5, so it's just a simple configuration setting with the Aura 5.
It would be really fun if they came out with a flap kit for this. Does not really need flaps to land effectively, it would just be one more cool thing to fiddle with on this plane.
This plane is a strong winner...(here is the review I posted)...
Wow, what a superb plane. The finish is incredible. The paint so shiny it shows finger prints! Rivet and panel detail is terrific. It goes together with no glue. All magnets and beautifully fitting hatches. Access to motors is via a removable top hatch. This plane is designed with maintenance in mind. Replacing a motor or an ESC would be a breeze.
Teamed with an Aura 5, mine flew incredibly scale and smooth. I had both a 6-axis flight mode for that locked in "SAFE" flight experience, and a 3-axis flight mode for a bit more freedom. Have not yet moved up to high rates to see what this can really do.
Maneuvering on water with Differential Thrust set up via the Aura 5 was a joy. Not the vague, hope I can get it to shore, feel of my other sea planes. This drove like a boat. Incredibly scale. I did not yet try differential thrust while flying as I wanted to get a feel for it first.
Take off is absolutely scale. The Widgeon very noticeably comes up on plane, tracking straight ahead with the twin motors, then gently lifts off completely scale, but with plenty of power. My guess is a hammering of the throttle would produce more energetic less scale like take offs.
With the help of the Aura 5, in the air it is rock solid and predictable with 6-axis "Safe" like help, and nicely lively with the low rates 3-axis. Plenty of speed. Landings onto the water were again incredibly scale and easy to land perfectly. It's not exactly a STOL type plane (maybe with a Flaperon set up), but it sure lands nice and easy and smooth. Makes you look like a great pilot!
Still working on perfect CG, but I found the recommended CG a touch nose heavy, but I was flying with a 2200 instead of the recommended 1800.
I have flown a E Flite Otter. The Otter is clearly more just a model compared to this. The price difference is absolutely worth it if a beautifully engineered and finished plane is something you like. Simple things like the way the wings secure with hand twist large pins from either side - just works beautifully on the Widgeon. The Otter wing mechanism is hugely clumsy by comparison. Even all the servo arm hook ups are such high quality. Plus, if you choose to set it up, this has the fun of Differential Thrust!
This is just a great plane, you will not be disappointed. This is my first Flite Test product, but certainly not my last! If the rumored Beech 18 is produced, I will be first in line to pre-order!
It would be really fun if they came out with a flap kit for this. Does not really need flaps to land effectively, it would just be one more cool thing to fiddle with on this plane.
This plane is a strong winner...(here is the review I posted)...
Wow, what a superb plane. The finish is incredible. The paint so shiny it shows finger prints! Rivet and panel detail is terrific. It goes together with no glue. All magnets and beautifully fitting hatches. Access to motors is via a removable top hatch. This plane is designed with maintenance in mind. Replacing a motor or an ESC would be a breeze.
Teamed with an Aura 5, mine flew incredibly scale and smooth. I had both a 6-axis flight mode for that locked in "SAFE" flight experience, and a 3-axis flight mode for a bit more freedom. Have not yet moved up to high rates to see what this can really do.
Maneuvering on water with Differential Thrust set up via the Aura 5 was a joy. Not the vague, hope I can get it to shore, feel of my other sea planes. This drove like a boat. Incredibly scale. I did not yet try differential thrust while flying as I wanted to get a feel for it first.
Take off is absolutely scale. The Widgeon very noticeably comes up on plane, tracking straight ahead with the twin motors, then gently lifts off completely scale, but with plenty of power. My guess is a hammering of the throttle would produce more energetic less scale like take offs.
With the help of the Aura 5, in the air it is rock solid and predictable with 6-axis "Safe" like help, and nicely lively with the low rates 3-axis. Plenty of speed. Landings onto the water were again incredibly scale and easy to land perfectly. It's not exactly a STOL type plane (maybe with a Flaperon set up), but it sure lands nice and easy and smooth. Makes you look like a great pilot!
Still working on perfect CG, but I found the recommended CG a touch nose heavy, but I was flying with a 2200 instead of the recommended 1800.
I have flown a E Flite Otter. The Otter is clearly more just a model compared to this. The price difference is absolutely worth it if a beautifully engineered and finished plane is something you like. Simple things like the way the wings secure with hand twist large pins from either side - just works beautifully on the Widgeon. The Otter wing mechanism is hugely clumsy by comparison. Even all the servo arm hook ups are such high quality. Plus, if you choose to set it up, this has the fun of Differential Thrust!
This is just a great plane, you will not be disappointed. This is my first Flite Test product, but certainly not my last! If the rumored Beech 18 is produced, I will be first in line to pre-order!
Thanks for the detailed write - up! Did the esc issue cause you to crash?
Fortunately not. I had a beautiful first flight, brought it in to fly the second battery, and when I started it back up with the second battery the right motor fritzed out. As we know, stuff like this occasionally happens and I really would not take this as a negative about the plane. Flite Test was right on it with me to quickly diagnose the problem and send me a new ESC. That does not mean I might not run up to the local hobby store and buy a couple of replacement ESCs to get me in the air faster
I'm glad it happened on the ground! Having extra ESC's never hurts.Fortunately not. I had a beautiful first flight, brought it in to fly the second battery, and when I started it back up with the second battery the right motor fritzed out. As we know, stuff like this occasionally happens and I really would not take this as a negative about the plane. Flite Test was right on it with me to quickly diagnose the problem and send me a new ESC. That does not mean I might not run up to the local hobby store and buy a couple of replacement ESCs to get me in the air faster
Update: It appears my ESC problem was actually an ESC calibration issue. I thought I had calibrated the ESCs, but my efforts were likely screwed up by a combination of trying to do two at once (as you should), possibly with differential thrust turned on (problem), possibly with my throttle cut in the wrong spot (problem). So I THOUGHT I had calibrated correctly, but possibly did not. When I flew the first battery, I likely had throttle cut engaged (-130) when I plugged in the battery. So everything was fine. When I plugged in the battery for the second flight (and every diagnostic test I did after), I did not have throttle cut engaged and the one ESC would not arm because (now I know) the throttle reading was too high. I figured this out by thinking about it over the weekend and deciding to try plugging in the battery/arming the ESCs with throttle cut engaged - sure enough everything worked fine. Tried arming without throttle cut and the one ESC again would not arm. BINGO! That's the problem. I re-ran the ESC Calibration routine and now everything works exactly as it should. So chalk this one up to it being my first serious twin, first time with differential thrust, first time with Aura 5, more recently starting to using throttle cut on all my planes, only second time having a plane where calibrating the ESC was important.
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davidkdk
Member
Does the landing gear wheels come with the plane? In the FliteTest store it reads "optional" but I'm not sure if that means you can optionally use them or you have to buy them separately. The landing gear is not listed separately in the store. Thanks.
Landing gear is included. Main gear is easy to put on and remove. No tools necessary. A small screw driver is needed to replace the rear water rudder with the rear wheel. The gear is more robust than it looks in the photos/videos.
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